In terms of the future of Star Wars in terms of animated shows, Disney+ original series, and television in general, there is no doubt that the bar has been set extremely high by The Clone Wars. Through seven seasons and a theatrical film, The Clone Wars added to and improved the canon so much, and is a joy to watch and rewatch.
The show is not entirely perfect, of course, but some of the arcs in the show pretty much are, becoming acclaimed and adored, with a rewatchability factor fitting for a franchise like Star Wars.
Updated September 27th By Rhys McGinley: Season seven of The Clone Wars has come and gone, and with it ended an incredible part of the Star Wars franchise that will get rewatched for generations to come. The show provided so many unbelievably good arcs throughout its time — too many to fit into a list of ten. Even with added entries, arcs like the Zyggerian slaver arc, the Ryloth arc, and more are still more than worthy of an honorable mention.
15 The Clone Cadets Arc
The Clone Wars adds so much to the broader Star Wars canon it is insane, building on ideas given in the prequels and executing them to perfection. One of the best things the show does is enhance the clones whom so many fans now adore.
This arc starts with “Rookies” in season one before starting up again in season three due to the chopped-up nature of the show’s chronology. It follows the rookie clones, primarily Fives and Echo, but also other members of Domino Squad and the wider clone army, as they rise in the ranks and eventually have to protect Kamino against a Separatist invasion. It has great action, fantastic clone characters, and excellently showcases the clone experience.
14 Boba’s Revenge
Boba Fett is a very divisive character amongst the Star Wars fandom. Some love him for how cool and iconic he is, as well as his vast potential and out-of-movie appearances; others cannot get over how wasted he is in the original trilogy.
Nevertheless, he is excellent in The Clone Wars, just like most bounty hunters, with his standout story being his infiltration of the clone cadets and plot to get revenge on Mace Windu. It is the best dive into Boba’s character fans got, and also showed off bounty hunters, both in their coolness and ruthlessness.
13 Obi-Wan Undercover
Coming in season four, this four-episode arc follows Obi-Wan as he goes undercover disguised as bounty hunter Rako Hardeen, hoping to intercept any plans from Dooku to capture the Chancellor, or worse.
It is not as simple as that, though. Obi-Wan fakes his own death, sending Anakin into a tailspin as those involved did not let him in on it. Obi-Wan is fantastic, as are Anakin and Cad Bane, who are both prominent in the arc. There is so much to love in this story, although it is one of the few times audiences ever disliked Obi-Wan for his lying to Anakin.
12 Maul’s Return
When it got revealed that Maul was alive there was a lot of confusion and doubt, especially considering fans had seen him chopped in half by Obi-Wan. When people get resurrected in Star Wars, it is never good.
But as soon as fans saw Maul and his story began to unfold again, all doubts were washed away. He was magnificent. Over a couple of episodes, Maul’s limited sanity returned, and he set off for revenge on Obi-Wan, leading to a fantastic duel. He and Savage were on a rampage that would, not long after, reach Mandalore.
11 The Citadel Arc
The Citadel arc is well-loved in Clone Wars lore and often talked about as a particularly brilliant one for so many reasons. It sees Anakin and Ahsoka (with help from R2-D2) attempt to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell from a Separatist prison.
The arc sees Wilhuff Tarkin and Anakin get very friendly, with the show helping make Tarkin even more hatable. It has many memorable character moments throughout as well as fantastic action sequences — including the death of Echo, which would later get revealed to be a capture, not a kill.
10 Yoda’s Journey
The final arc of season six of The Clone Wars, just before its cancellation, followed Yoda on a journey that led him to a deeper understanding of the Force and glimpses into the future of the Galaxy.
The episodes give a great insight to Yoda as a character, as well as some of the inner workings of the Force. Seeing Yoda in a battle with Dooku and Sidious alongside Anakin was great to see, as was Darth Bane, and Yoda talking to Qui-Gon.
9 The Second Battle Of Geonosis
While zombies and Star Wars sounds like the kind of nonsense you would see in the Legends timeline, it is done very well by Lucas, Filoni, and company in this arc that takes the Jedi and clones back to Geonosis.
The Jedi are drawn there by a plot involving a droid factory, and darkness soon ensues with the Geonosians being zombies, with the Jedi a prime target. Eventually, the clones are infected by the parasite, forcing Ahsoka and Barriss Offee, heartbreakingly, to kill some. It is packed with action and emotion.
8 The Nightsister Trilogy
The Nightsister trilogy adds a lot to The Clone Wars and is chock full of fantastic stuff. Not only does it give more insight to Asajj Ventress, but it introduces Savage Opress, gives more details on the Nightsisters, and reveals Maul is alive.
Starting with Palpatine demanding Dooku kills Asajj, the arc goes at a quick pace, with so much happening from Savage secretly working for Asajj while being trained by Dooku, to the two facing Dooku, to Obi-Wan and Anakin’s involvement, it is a fantastic set of episodes.
7 The Mandalore Trilogy
Mandalore is always a fantastic place for The Clone Wars to go, and when it first goes there in season two, it leads to one of the best arcs in the show, especially if you like Mandalorians and Obi-Wan.
With Mandalore now a pacifist society, the trilogy introduces to Duchess Satine Kryze, a woman whom Obi-Wan loves. He wrestles with those feelings throughout the arc while fighting off Death Watch and attempting to prove the Separatists have a role in the attempts on Satine’s life.
6 Ahsoka Leaves The Council
The final arc of season five is a heartbreaking one that sees an attack on the Jedi council blamed on Ahsoka and follows her on the run from the Republic as she attempts to clear her name before getting captured and put on trial.
Eventually, she is proven innocent, with Barriss Offee having been the perpetrator, but refuses to join the Jedi Order again, and parts ways with everyone. The arc is full of great action and character work for everyone involved and dives into what is wrong with the Jedi Order, showing nobody but Anakin truly believed in Ahsoka.
5 The Mortis Arc
The Mortis arc is well known in the Star Wars fandom, and a truly fascinating set of episodes that sees Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka stuck on a mysterious planet with three beings of insane power in the Force.
With the Father, Son, and Daughter being living embodiments of each side of the Force, it is a fascinating look at Anakin’s potential power and future alongside another exciting look into the Force, as we see the Son and Father both attempt to recruit Anakin.
4 The Conspiracy Arc
The conspiracy arc that kicked off season six is one of the most heartbreaking and frustrating (in a good way) arcs, which follows Fives as he uncovers Palpatine’s conspiracy with inhibitor chips after Tup’s malfunctioned.
It is frustrating because Fives was so close to getting the mystery solved and bringing it to the attention of the Jedi. Fives has one of the shows saddest deaths, and the arc is full of suspense, tension, and a fantastic look into the clones inhibitor chips and Palpatine’s plot.
3 The Umbara Arc
What is there to say about the famous Umbara arc that has not already gotten said? It follows Rex and the 501st at a tense battlefront on Umbara led by Jedi Master Pong Krell, who has a severe disrespect and lack of care towards clones.
When Rex and the clones arrest Pong Krell and Rex fully realizes that orders are not everything and that both individuality and being a good soldier can coexist, it is beautiful. The action, emotion, the other action, Pong Krell, the clones, everything in this arc is epic, and it is often – but rightfully – heralded as one of The Clone Wars’ best.
2 The Shadow Conspiracy Arc
Talk about devastating, the arc that takes the show back to Mandalore sees Maul rise to power as both the ruler of Mandalore and as head of a range of crime syndicates, with his brother Savage by his side.
When Maul captures Obi-Wan and murders Satine right in front of him, it is one of the most devastating moments in all of Star Wars and brings the pair’s rivalry to the next level. Everything works beautifully in this arc, and the surprising end to it with Palpatine arriving at Mandalore to dispose of Maul and Savage is nothing short of epic.
1 The Siege Of Mandalore
The final arc of The Clone Wars could not have ended the show in a better way. It was perfect. Every episode was phenomenal as we follow the Siege of Mandalore and the events of Revenge Of The Sith from an alternate point of view.
From unbelievable action in the Maul vs. Ahsoka duel to heartbreaking moments like Rex succumbing to the effects of Order 66 to the somber end with Vader, everything is incredible in the arc. It will get rewatched for years as both a movie on its own and a part of the show that it closed out.